Process of producing compressed coke.



PATENTBD MAY 2, 1905.

A. D. SHREWSBURY. PROCESS OF PRODUCING COMPRESSED COKE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 15, 1904.

V Jrzverzfior: I w? 22 10 UNITED STATES.

Patented May 2', 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. SHREWSBURY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAS AND FUEL MANUFACURING COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING COMPRESSED COKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,558, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed August 15,1904. Serial No. 220,856.

T (LU whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. Snnnws- BURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Compressed Coke, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of compressed coke; and the object of the same is to provide a practically continuous and simple process for producing compressed nonporous blocks or briquets of coke designed to be used as fuel.

' Compressed coke has many advantages over ordinary coke and for some purposes is superior to anthracite coal. Itis compact, easily handled, occupies but little space for shipping, is free from sulfurous and other noxious gases, it burns freely, and is almost entirely consumed, leaving but little clinker or ash.

In carrying out my process I take the coke from the coke-oven at the time when it has reached a plastic or agglutinate state and cornpress it'into blocks of the desired size and shape. These blocks or briquets may be produced as a by-product of a gas-producing plant, or the product may be the result of a specially-designed apparatus in which the gas may be regarded as a secondaryconsideration. According to my process the coke is dumped into the compressor as quickly as possible to avoid the ignition and consequent combustion of the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an apparatus which may be utilized in carrying out my process, and in the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of a coking-oven having tunnels underneath it and showing a car in position to receive the plastic coke, said car having mounted thereon a press for forming and compressing the plastic mass into blocks or briquets. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, the upper portion of which is in section and showing the trend of the endless tracks upon which the cars may run. Fig.

3 is a sectional view of the compression-molds. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a metal plate to be used in recompressing the coke blocks.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the coke ovens or retorts, and there may be a series of these retorts arranged side by side or in any convenient manner. These retorts are supported upon mason-work 2, thus providing tunnels 3 under the bottoms 4 of the ovens, said bottoms consisting of divided sections hinged at 5 and arranged to open downward to permit the coke to drop into a hopper 6. From the hopper 6 the material passes into a compressing device 7, of any suitable character, designed to compress the plastic mass into blocks or briquets of the required size. These compressors may be conveniently mounted upon trucks 8, adapted to run upon tracks 9, and may consist of a pair of rolls (I, having central axles Z) and provided with recesses c, in which the coke is compressed into blocks of the required size. This compressor may be actuated by a hand-crank, as shown in Fig. 1, or by any suitable means. As shown in Fig. 2, the railway-tracks are formed in loops passing down under the bottoms 4 in the tunnels 3 and up over the top of the ovens or retorts at the sides of the hoppers 10 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. The rails-at the highest points may be properly supported upon metal columns or beams, as will be readily understood. The chambers or retorts may be heated by combustible gases, which may be supplied through suitable burners, as at 10 As shown in Fig. 1, the combustible gases given ofi' from specific apparatus, excepting in so far as is necessary to carry out the various steps of my method.

In carrying out my process I proceed as follows: When the coking operation has proceeded for the desired length of time and the mass of coke is in a plastic or agglutinate state, the bottoms 4 are swung downward upon the hinges 5 until the contents of the retorts are discharged into the hopper 6 between the rollers 66 and into the recesses c. When the rollers a are revolved, the coke is compressed in the recesses c. The cars may be conveyed to any suitable point on the track for the compressing operation, and the blocks or briquets may then be conveyed to a suitable point on the track 9, to be replaced through the hoppers 10 into the retorts 1 to facilitate the subsequent compression, and so drive out the gases by obliterating the cavities in the coke. The cars are then conveyed into the tunnels 3 to receive the briquets through the bottoms l for recompression, after which the briquets may be conveyed to a suitable place for storage. It may be found necessary, under certain conditions, to reheat and recompress the briquets several times in order that the gases maybe entirely eliminated and the blocks compressed until they are of the required density. A metal plate (Z, Fig. 4, may be placed in each recess 0 when the blocks are to be recompressed, the plates serving to make the recesses smaller, and to thus give additional compression to the blocks thus treated.

What I claim is- 1. The herein-described process of producing compressed coke blocks or briquets, which consists in discharging the coke while in a plastic or agglutinate state during the coking operation, compressing the mass into blocks or briquets, reheating said blocks or briquets and recompressing the same substantially as described.

2. The process of forming densitied coke briquets, which consists in compressing coke while in a plastic condition during the coking process into blocks or briquets, and reheating said briquets to eliminate the remaining gases, substantially as described.

3. The process of forming compressed coke briquets which consists in discharging the coke from a coke-oven while in a plastic condition during the coking process into a compressor, compressing the mass into blocks of the required size conveying the compressed briquets back to the oven and discharging them therein, reheating the blocks to eliminate the gases, and further compressing and reheating said blocks until the required density is attained, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described process of forming briquets from plastic coke, which consists in compressing the coke into blocks while in a plastic condition during the coking process, and subsequently recompressing said briquets until they have attained the required density, substantially as described.

5. The process of forming compressed coke blocks, which consists in discharging the contents of a coke-oven while the coke is in a plastic condition into a compressor, and pressing the coke into blocks,substantiall y as described.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT D. 'SHREWSBURY.

Witnesses:

P. H. TEMPLET, CALEB S. MILLER. 

